Moscow April 22, 2013

6.3. Common task for personal discredit of the organizers of the public rally on the Bolotnaya Square on May 6 and its ordinary participants

Characteristics of ordinary participants of the events were also compiled the way so that these people do not inspire public confidence. Mikhail Kosenko “suffers from mental illness”, “recognized insane by the expertise”, Andrey Barabanov – “unemployed”. Maksim Lousianin is “the entrepreneur, who had previously been prosecuted for extortion”, the like about (“previously convicted director of a travel company”) Oleg Arkhipenkov.

Only occupation of Alexey Polikhovich (it is mentioned that he is “a student of Russian State Social University”) and Artem Savelov (“athlete”) do not have a pronounced negative connotation. Nothing is said about professional activities of other detainees. For example, it is not mentioned that Richard Sobolev works as an electrician, and Denis Lutskevich served in the Marine Corps (that is why the Union of sailors stood up for him).

There are detainees, whom federal channels do not mention at all, not even their names. This is a freelance reporter for the newspaper “Vyatsky observer” Leonid Kovyazin (the governor of the Kirov region Nikita Belikh applied for his release), chemist Fedor Bachov, candidate of technical sciences Sergey Krivov, Oleg Guschin and Alexander Margolin.

6.4. Manipulations with pictures to give the piece more accusatory character

The “Channel One” in order to illustrate the aggression of the protesters reused a shot under the logo Nevex TV, where a woman dressed in green camouflage throws a bottle that apparently hits nobody, nevertheless, she is arrested (May 13, May 15, June 9 and 11, October 23 – “Vremya” and “News”, “Channel One”). Apparently, this woman was not among those persons who have been charged afterwards.

TV companies do not have shots that clearly fixed violence against police officers, carried out by specific persons at their disposal. There is only one video example they presented: one of the demonstrators pushes policeman and one protester kicks him.

At first, these shots were commented without regard to those persons who are visible on them. Thus, “News” program on channel “Russia-1” (May 20) accompany them with such text: “One of the police officers gets stabbed with a knife in a bulletproof vest. Here starts the actually planned fight”. Still shots only show how people push this riot policeman. But it will remain unclear: was this policeman “stabbed with a knife”?

On May 30, when TV channels reported the arrest of Maxim Lousianin and Andrey Barabanov (ordinary participants of the events on Bolotnaya square), it becomes clear that the shots when the policeman was beaten will be connected with them.

Here is how Alexander Balitskiy, the correspondent of the “Russia-1” channel, interprets these shots (June 3, “News”, 20.00): "They were found based on the videos. With slow-motion playback we can see: Barabanov beats, then kicks the police officer (in fact, the audience does not see who beats and kicks the police officer). Meanwhile a man in a mask with good bulging biceps, which can be seen near him, is, perhaps, Lousianin”.

The second video evidence that police officers suffered during the events on the Bolotnaya Square will be the shot of a tall policeman guides a smaller one, holding him on the neck, – it looks as though the one who was a victim of the above clash.

No other shots that could prove physical damage done to police officers have been demonstrated. This is despite the fact that according to all federal channels dozens of police officers were injured during the riots. Furthermore, this figure increased from program to program.

Evidence-based video database for other individuals accused of using violence against the police, has also proved extremely unconvincing. For instance, one of the first who was arrested on suspicion of using violence against the police was 18-year-old Alexandra Dukhanina. Video evidence of her guilt, the TV channels are trying to produce, is very questionable. Equally unconvincing are video records using which TV channels are trying to prove the guilt of Michael Kosenko and Stepan Zimin, arrested at the same time on suspicion of using violence. Here these few obscure episodes of video evidence against specific detainees, at least on the federal channels, end.

Thus, we can conclude that the investigators had enough evidence of Maxim Lousianin to participate in beating of the police officer (perhaps that is why he at once confessed, in addition, the TV channels have repeatedly stressed that he has an outstanding conviction, which clearly made him more vulnerable). There are shots on which there is Barabanov (if it is proved that it was him). There is evidence that Michael Kosenko was in the midst of the clash (if you believe that the person that is marked with the red circle (see link XII) is really him). The investigators also have indirect evidence of a possible guilt of Dukhanina. But it is clear that there are no shots confirming the guilt of Zimin (and he is also accused of using violence).

All further reports of arrests are not proved by TV channels with video evidence against the detainees, the TV only enumerates them.

On June 9, “Channel One” reported that Denis Lutskevich and Yaroslav Belousov were arrested. However, no video recordings with their involvement in the riots were demonstrated, but it was merely stated that, according to investigators, they “threw stones and pieces of pavement at police, broke through the cordon and tried to attack the police officers”.

On June 14, NTV would name 5 more arrested on charges of rioting on Bolotnaya square: Oleg Arkhipenkov, Vladimir Akimenkov, Richard Sobolev, Artyom Savelyev and Alexander Kamensky.

On July 26, channels “Russia-1” and NTV would report that two more participants were detained – Nikolay Kavkazsky and Alexey Polikhovich.

On November 9, “Channel One” and NTV would report about the beginning of trial of Maksim Lousianin and Mikhail Kosenko. They explain that since Lousianin admitted himself guilty, the case was heard without questioning witnesses and examination of evidence. Lousianin will be sentenced to four and a half years. It would be reported that public prosecutor's office asked to send Mikhail Kosenko for forced psychiatric treatment. It is announced that his trial will continue on November 28.

However, the reports on November 9, 2012 were the last mention on federal channels of ordinary defendants under the case of the events on the Bolotnaya Square on May 6. It is likely that the decision was made: not to tell the audience anything more about these people who are mostly accused under Part 2 of Art. 212 (participation in mass riots) and Art. 318 (use of violence against representatives of the authorities). Perhaps, it is because the TV channels have nothing to illustrate their guilt. The only witnesses of their cases, according to what was said on TV, are the officers of security forces.